Postcolonial Theorem

[Jade Davis]

Hey there!
I'm not entirely sure if this question is overly esoteric, however, I'm wondering would the obvious barbaric othering in the duality of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde be considered a postcolonial representation? Or would this be a farfetched study? Further, in film The Shining, would a postcolonial interpretation be an allegory of American Imperialism at the expense of cultural others? And can both text protagonist's alternate personalities be considered othering, thus, relevant to postcolonial? Am I on an absurd tangent haha?

Thank you

[angewina_naguen]

Hey there!
I'm not entirely sure if this question is overly esoteric, however, I'm wondering would the obvious barbaric othering in the duality of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde be considered a postcolonial representation? Or would this be a farfetched study? Further, in film The Shining, would a postcolonial interpretation be an allegory of American Imperialism at the expense of cultural others? And can both text protagonist's alternate personalities be considered othering, thus, relevant to postcolonial? Am I on an absurd tangent haha?

Thank you

Hey, Jade!

I think they're very valid ways of looking at both texts! Although I'm not too versed in them, a text can be read with any form of critical theory so long as you have textual evidence to support your interpretations and analysis. Extension 1 really invites you to think radically and boldly about your texts so if you would like to suggest those ways of understanding the texts, I would definitely encourage it  Nothing is too far-fetched; I didn't think a Marxist study of Waiting for Godot would be possible but there has been one!

I also found these resources which might help with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde that might spark some more ideas!

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Inspirations, Interpretations, and a Deep Analysis -- A Spooky Spotlight on Robert Louis Stevenson's Gothic Novel

The Beast Within
The Anxiety of the Unforseen in Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Hope that helps to some degree! Let me know if you have any further questions and I'll see how I can help 

Angelina 

[Jade Davis]

Hi Angelina!

Thank you so much for your response and I really appreciate the resources, they definitely provide good inspiration However, I do have an inquiry. The further I am scouring, the scanter scholarly - even just informed, applicable interpretations - seem to be for Jekyll and Hyde and I'm becoming increasingly hesitant on pursuing these texts. I love the invitation for experimentation and bold thinking, especially as I know Year 12 requires commitment and these texts have undeniably intirgued me. However, in comparison to the overtly postcolonial texts which classmates are studying (Heart of Darkness, Dracula, Rovers Wife etc.), I'm terrified I'm setting myself for failure and immediate disadvantage. Can sophisticated readings still be made on limited scholarly research etc.? Obviously there's no straight answer and my teacher says "it's undoubtedly more challenging but not impossible", but what do you reckon? I don't mind 'playing the game of education', as I understand the purpose of Year 11 is simply to develop and prepare the skills for Year 12. However, we are getting further through this assessment now and I'm really unsure whether to commit or quickly change to best-develop my research skills and not limit marking potential. Would you happen to have any miraculous wisdom or experience to save me from this rapid descent into insanity haha?

Thank you !

[angewina_naguen]

Hi Angelina!

Thank you so much for your response and I really appreciate the resources, they definitely provide good inspiration However, I do have an inquiry. The further I am scouring, the scanter scholarly - even just informed, applicable interpretations - seem to be for Jekyll and Hyde and I'm becoming increasingly hesitant on pursuing these texts. I love the invitation for experimentation and bold thinking, especially as I know Year 12 requires commitment and these texts have undeniably intirgued me. However, in comparison to the overtly postcolonial texts which classmates are studying (Heart of Darkness, Dracula, Rovers Wife etc.), I'm terrified I'm setting myself for failure and immediate disadvantage. Can sophisticated readings still be made on limited scholarly research etc.? Obviously there's no straight answer and my teacher says "it's undoubtedly more challenging but not impossible", but what do you reckon? I don't mind 'playing the game of education', as I understand the purpose of Year 11 is simply to develop and prepare the skills for Year 12. However, we are getting further through this assessment now and I'm really unsure whether to commit or quickly change to best-develop my research skills and not limit marking potential. Would you happen to have any miraculous wisdom or experience to save me from this rapid descent into insanity haha?

Thank you !

Hey, Jade!

I definitely think you can still succeed even with limited scholarly research on your chosen text/s. It's not a matter of how much there is out there, but how well you use what it is out there to formulate your own judgement and arguments. One of my related texts for Extension 1 in my HSC was a Japanese film noir that had, I kid you not, only two reviews from English-speaking critics. This made it next to impossible for me to have scholarly resources to work with but it did invite me to make more unique connections from the text itself to the module I was studying. I actually found it quite empowering  Scholarly research should not substitute from direct analysis and interpretations of the text itself so hopefully that clears that myth for you!

I agree with your teacher in that it will be more challenging but you can certainly perform well with a radical idea or basing most of your work on an unlikely interpretation. You can still use any articles in general on postcolonialism and link it to quotes and examples from Dr Jekyll and Hyde that can be read through a postcolonial lens. By having relevant textual evidence to support your ideas, you can argue anything! Here's an example of how I did it for a module in Year 12.

After the Bomb Sample

Beckett’s motionless mise en scene contrasts with the combustion of emotional extremity in Shinoda’s ‘Pale Flower’ throughout the duration of the drag race scene. Increasing volume simulates Saeko’s adrenaline rising, complemented with rapid camera angles. This scene concludes with hysterical, diegetic laughter bursting out of Saeko, showing how she has attained the personal power that she was devoid of in a dull, streamline world. The composer consequently situates doubts of safety at the hands of humanity and the falsity of direction achieved in attempting to channel visceral gratification. Beckett and Shinoda explore nuclear anxiety with visual commentaries; ‘Waiting for Godot’ confronts audiences with loneliness and the tensions of personal power, whereas ‘Pale Flower’ illustrates the failure of post-war society to provide humanity with personal elevation. Nuclear anxiety and the impact left in fiction has forced audiences to register how humanity has been irrevocably “reduced to inaction because of the post-war catastrophic situation" (Bahareh Merhabi, 2016).

The quote that I used in that example was from a scholarly reading I did for Waiting for Godot which was my prescribed text that had plenty of resources on it. I let that framework for interpreting the text be a way to also view Pale Flower, my aforementioned Japanese related text. Basically, if you can find any resources for postcolonialism in literature or whatnot to help you establish a stronger grasp on how you might read Dr Jekyll and Hyde, they work just as well as actual analysis and scholarly critique on the text itself. Hope that clarifies any concerns and good luck with the assessment!

Angelina